Warts and All
by runnerman87
Summary: When Harry forgets Valentine's Day in his sixth year, he runs to Hermione for help. What will her advice be? Will he follow it? What's Ginny hiding? All these questions answered and more. Pure Valentine's Day fluff.


A/N: Yes, this is a Harry/Ginny story, and yes, it's fluff. It's entirely content free. In fact, it's tooth-rotting stuff. I make no apologies for that, but I do offer this warning up front. If that sort of thing doesn't sound like your cup of tea, I advise you not to read any further. I don't plan on writing this type of story often, but the mood struck me, and it may strike me again. Any flames regarding the subject matter will be cheerfully ignored. You have been warned. Without further ado, I present:

**Warts and All:**  
A St. Valentine's Day Tale

Harry groaned and dropped onto the couch beside Hermione. "I'm a dead man. One-hundred percent. No ifs, no buts, Ginny's going to murder me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Who would ever have thought that Harry could summon such melodrama? "What is it this time, Harry?"

"I forgot Friday's Valentine's Day!"

Hermione chuckled. "Is that all, Harry?" Harry looked incredulously at Hermione. He had always been led to believe that forgetting Valentine's Day was, in fact, quite a big deal. Exasperated, his friend shook her bushy head at him and continued, "It's only Tuesday, Harry. You've plenty of time to put something together between now and then."

Harry's eyes widened in horror. "But Hermione, I can't leave the castle! How am I going to get Ginny a gift when I can't even go to Hogsmeade?"

Hermione frowned and studied Harry for a moment before explaining patiently, "Ginny isn't from a wealthy family, Harry. She doesn't need some big, expensive gift. In fact, it would embarrass her if you bought her one, because she can't buy anything like that for you."

Harry nodded and looked thoughtful. His friend was making sense, and Hermione was pleased to see that he was following her. "Find something small you can give her on Valentine's Day and come up with something you can do together. Spend time with her, Harry; that's what she really needs."

Harry's shoulders relaxed, and he smiled faintly. "I think I can do that." A moment later, a distant memory was triggered, and Harry's smile grew to a grin. He had the beginnings of an idea. _'How the hell am I going to write a poem in three days?'_

* * *

Friday morning dawned clear and cold. It found a very grumpy Harry Potter struggling to free himself from the clinging confines of his bedcovers. Even though he'd had a bit of a lie-in due to the late winter sunrise, he hated to get out of bed. It was freezing in the castle, and he'd have preferred to stay nestled in his nice, warm bed to making an early-morning trip to the Owlery. _'The things I do for love,'_ he grumbled to himself.

He'd stayed up until almost midnight the night before trying to knock his rather paltry attempt at poetry into shape. It didn't rhyme, but he'd eventually gotten the meter right, so he thought he would just have to hope for the best, provided that he could actually work up the courage to send the message in the first place, of course. He looked at Hedwig, who peered back at him as if to say, 'Daft boy! Why did you wake me up if you're not going to send a letter?'

Harry chuckled. His familiar was starting to sound suspiciously like Hermione. "Well, I suppose there's not much choice, is there girl? I haven't got anything else to give her." He attached the note to Hedwig's foot with shaking hands and gave her a nervous smile. "Bring this down to breakfast with the rest of the mail, alright girl?" Hedwig clicked her beak at him impatiently, and Harry raced from the Owlery to get down to the Great Hall in time for breakfast.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was sitting in the Great Hall picking listlessly at his eggs and listening with half an ear to Ron and Hermione argue about something, though he couldn't summon the will to figure out what they were fighting about this time. He nervously scanned the Gryffindor table, for what must have been the fifteenth time in the last seven minutes, and noted that Ginny still had not arrived. The mail was due any minute, and he was worried about what would happen to his plans if she didn't receive his note.

Just as he had that thought, a rustling noise from the vicinity of the enchanted ceiling announced the arrival of the post owls. He spotted a white blur representing his familiar among the rolling tide of black and brown post owls. He sighed. Ginny was still nowhere to be seen. He had no idea what happened when an owl was unable to deliver its message, but he supposed he was about to find out. A moment later, he had his answer. Hedwig swooped down, perched on his shoulder, and began twisting her head slowly and intently, scanning the room for the recipient of her burden.

Ron took one look at the incongruous tableau and broke out laughing. He managed to choke out, through his guffaws, "Harry, I think you'd better take the message. Hedwig looks impatient!"

Harry glared at his best friend. His nerves were in no state for teasing that morning, good-natured or otherwise. "I don't fancy having my fingers bitten off by my own owl, Ron," he sniped. "The letter isn't for me. It's for Ginny."

Ron's laughter abated but didn't die completely, and he looked curiously at his best friend. "Don't be daft, Harry. If it was for Ginny, Pig would have it, and he wouldn't have come to you."

"Do you see Ginny around here anywhere, you git?" Harry snapped.

Ron finally stopped laughing when he realized the extent of Harry's irritation. He looked around briefly and frowned when he reached the obvious conclusion. "No, I don't. Where could she be? Have you seen her this morning, Hermione?"

Hermione was saved from answering when the girl in question rushed into the Great Hall and began plowing through a plate of scrambled eggs with abandon. Hedwig gave Harry a brief nip on the ear before winging off to make her delivery. When Ginny noticed Harry's owl headed her way, she paled and looked around nervously until she caught her boyfriend's eye. She quickly turned away and unfolded Harry's note, where she read,

_Her hair is as red as the forest in autumn,  
Her smile as bright as the Sun on the snow.  
I'm glad she's mine; she's really divine,  
The woman who holds my heart._

_Happy Valentine's Day, Ginny. Meet me in the Entrance Hall after dinner. I have a surprise for you. Dress warm. _

_Yours,  
Harry_

Ginny's cheeks pinked a bit as she read the brief note. Her eyes met Harry's again, and she gave him a brief nod followed by a nervous little smile. She folded the note, tucked it away in her robes, and finished her breakfast in record time before fleeing the Great Hall.

Harry turned to Hermione. "Did I do something wrong?"

His bushy-haired friend looked up from the dusty tome she'd begun reading when Ron's attention had moved from their earlier argument to his breakfast. "Sorry Harry, what was that?"

"Did I do something wrong?" Hermione continued to regard him quizzically, so he elaborated. "I wrote Ginny a poem for Valentine's Day and asked her to meet me in the Entrance Hall after dinner for a surprise. Was that wrong? Should I have done more?"

Hermione cocked her head slightly. "It sounds alright, Harry. Why do you ask?"

"She read the note and looked all nervous for a minute, and then she up and vanished. Look!"

Whatever she might have said was cut off by a loud scraping of benches as the students in the Great Hall began a general exodus in preparation for their first lesson. Harry immediately groaned as he remembered that he had Potions first thing that morning. There was no way he'd make it through one of Snape's NEWT Potions nightmares--Harry had stopped calling them lessons before the first one had even finished--with his mind on Ginny. He groaned and tried to drag his mind off the enigma that was his girlfriend.

* * *

The next eleven hours turned into an excruciating lesson in patience for Harry. He worked desperately to concentrate in his lessons, but he still managed to bungle his _Elixir of Euphoria_, earning him a smirk and a fat zero from Snape. On top of that, he somehow managed to turn Ron green instead of transfiguring him into a hedgehog. Not even Hermione had the heart to berate Harry for his inattention, however. She knew quite well why he was distracted, and she understood completely.

When Ginny didn't appear for lunch at all, Harry finally gave the day up as a bad job and just prayed that he could make it through the rest of his lessons without landing in detention and upsetting his plans for Ginny. His prayers were at least partially answered. Harry was not the only student in Charms with the Valentine's Day jitters, and Professor Flitwick seemed at least mildly sympathetic.

Harry decided to seek Ginny out during his free period that afternoon, but for some reason, she was continually disappearing around corners or dashing up the girls' staircase after a forgotten textbook. By dinnertime he was thoroughly frustrated, and all he really wanted was to get the day over with so he could collapse into bed and hope the Hogsmeade visit would go more smoothly. His spirits sunk further when Ginny finally appeared for dinner but walked right past the seat he had saved for her to sit at the far end of the table. She spent most of the meal in intense conversation with Colin Creevey, which Harry found extremely strange. He had no idea what could be so important, but Colin was just as intent on the conversation, shaking his head emphatically at odd intervals. Whatever they were discussing, Ginny was obviously growing frustrated, and Harry was nervous about what that might mean for their date later in the evening. He was tempted to intervene, but he doubted that anything good could come from inserting himself into Ginny's business when she was so agitated.

With fifteen minutes left to go before the scheduled end of dinner, Harry could no longer bear the strain. He tersely excused himself to Ron and Hermione, who barely acknowledged him before returning to their latest argument, which appeared to center around a rubber duck, of all things. Harry walked briskly to Gryffindor Tower to retrieve his hat and cloak. He had so much nervous energy that he made it up to his dormitory and back down to the Entrance Hall in record time, where he checked his watch and realized that there were still five minutes left before the end of dinner. Ginny would be at least another twenty minutes, and he had no idea what to do with himself until then.

Eventually he settled on a plan, which involved a great deal of pacing across the Entrance Hall. His decision to leave the Valentine's feast early was proving to be a mistake, as the inability to distract himself by pushing his food aimlessly around his plate exacerbated his already-strained mental state, and his pacing was spectacularly unsuccessful at releasing his nervous energy.

Finally, nearly thirty minutes after Harry had left the feast, he turned to make what must have been his seven-hundred fourteenth transit of the narrow corridor when his eye caught a blur of color on the staircase. He gasped. Ginny was a vision in black slacks and a green jumper that somehow made her fiery locks even more radiant. She shot him a nervous little smile, and paradoxically, Harry relaxed. Somehow the idea that his girlfriend was also nervous helped to soothe his own uncertainties.

Harry gave what he suspected was a rather dopey smile. "You look amazing, Gin."

Ginny's smile brightened, and she blushed delicately, making her look even more intoxicating. "You're looking rather dashing yourself, Mr. Potter. Now what's this big surprise you have waiting?"

Harry grinned. "Well it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you beforehand, would it?" Ginny mock-pouted, and Harry couldn't help but laugh. "All right, all right, I'll tell you! Just don't look at me like that!" Ginny smirked, unrepentant.

Harry looked nervously at his girlfriend for a minute before confessing, "I forgot that the Hogsmeade visit wouldn't be until after Valentine's Day this year, so I don't have a gift for you yet. Hermione suggested that I 'think of something'--which may have been the vaguest advice she's ever given me--"

Harry was interrupted by Ginny's exquisite laughter, and in fairness, he found it quite amusing himself. "Anyway," he continued, "I realized that you've probably heard an awful lot about what Ron, Hermione and I have gotten up to over the years, but you haven't been there for most of it, so I thought you might like to share some of that. How'd you like to go see the Shrieking Shack and hear the story of how we met Sirius?"

Ginny didn't say anything for a long moment, just looked deep into Harry's eyes, and he suddenly felt nervous again. "I mean, of course we'll go to Hogsmeade together tomorrow and I'll buy you a proper present, but I thought you might like--"

Ginny placed a finger on Harry's lips and silenced him. "Shhh. It's a wonderful idea, Harry. I might have preferred a romantic dinner, but it means a lot to me that you'd let me in like this. I know how much Sirius meant to you."

Harry closed his eyes for a moment. He was finally coming to terms with Sirius' death, but reminders of that fateful night were still painful if they caught him unexpectedly. He opened his eyes when he'd gotten his emotions in check and smiled sadly. "Anything for you, Gin."

They stood like that for a moment, lost in each other's eyes, until Ginny reached down and grabbed Harry's hand. "Shall we go," she asked brightly.

Harry nodded by way of answer, and they strolled across the grounds through the fresh snow toward the Whomping Willow. After a minute, Ginny looked strangely at Harry and asked, "Where are we going, Harry? The path to Hogsmeade is through the main gates."

Harry chuckled. "That's true, but we're not going to see the Shrieking Shack, we're going _into_ the Shrieking Shack. The path for that is this way."

Ginny stopped walking abruptly, crossed her arms, and glared at Harry. He folded instantly under her fierce gaze and began telling her about Ron and Hermione's year-long row about Crookshanks' fixation on Scabbers. She laughed and reminded him that she'd been there and wasn't likely to forget anytime soon. When they got close enough to the tree, Harry conjured a small stone and banished it at the secret knot, freezing the tree and allowing them to shimmy through the roots into the hidden passage below.

As they half-crouched and half-crawled through the narrow, subterranean tunnel, Harry explained how Ron had been kidnapped by an enormous black dog, how he and Hermione had desperately given chase, and how they had emerged at the end of the long journey in the dusty, run-down interior of the Shrieking Shack. He even managed to time the story more or less correctly. They reached the end of the tunnel only a minute or two after he finished speaking.

When they emerged, disheveled and very dirty, Harry was surprised to find that the footprints and drag marks they had left in the dust during their previous visit were still visible. He waved his wand and cleaned most of the grime off of them before continuing, "Sirius took Ron to a room upstairs. Of course, we didn't know it was Sirius at the time, we just thought he was some great, rabid dog. We sort of busted into the room like you see them do on the telly--"

Ginny looked curiously at Harry. "On the what?"

"The telly. You know, television." Ginny continued to look confused, and Harry waved away the topic. "Muggle form of entertainment. Never mind, it doesn't matter. The point is, we basically kicked the door in, and there's Ron, sitting on the bed looking like he'd seen a ghost. Turns out, he'd actually seen Sirius, who was waiting behind the door to ambush us. Actually, I reckon I'd have been pretty scared, too."

Harry laughed at the memory. "Then the great git has to go and say something horribly menacing like, 'Thank you for coming yourself, Harry. It will make everything much easier.'"

Ginny gasped. "He didn't!"

Harry nodded, solemnly. "He did. Hermione reckons he was more than a bit mad after living with the dementors for so long and then being on the run. He looked more than half dead, actually. It was like looking at a man-shaped thestral. I'm a little surprised we didn't kill him when we all ended up in a fight."

Ginny was getting confused. "Harry, you're telling everything all out of order. Why were you fighting? Wasn't he here to help you?"

Harry ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Sorry, you're right. I'll try to explain things better. Sirius was here to help, but he somehow got it into his head that killing Peter Pettigrew was the most important thing he could do. I told you he was half mad, right?" When she nodded, he continued, "I think he forgot the _reason_ he wanted to kill Pettigrew for a while, and all he thought about was that we were getting in his way. For a minute there, I think he actually meant to kill me."

Ginny gasped. "Harry, that's horrible!"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I suppose it was. I couldn't really hold it against him, though. I came very close to killing him, too."

Ginny paled at this revelation and whispered, "Great Merlin, why?"

"I overheard some of the professors talking at Christmas that year. They said he was the one who betrayed my parents, and I still believed that. Everyone did, actually, even Professor Lupin."

Ginny's face screwed up in concentration, as if she were trying very hard to remember something, and she asked, "Harry, the night of the third task, in the hospital, it seemed like Professor Lupin already knew Sirius was innocent." Harry nodded. "But you said he thought Sirius was guilty."

Harry nodded. "He was here that night, too. He found out what really happened at the same time we did. He saw Pettigrew on the map and came to investigate. Disarmed all three of us with one wave of his wand, too." Harry's expression grew thoughtful. "I still haven't figured out how he did that. I've never been able to get more than one person at a time."

Harry paused in his recollection and grimaced. "Snape was here that night, too. He showed up a little bit after Lupin did."

"What!?"

"Oh, yes. He was here. He was boasting about how he was going to hand Sirius and Professor Lupin over to the dementors as soon as we got back on the grounds."

Ginny gasped. "But Professor Lupin hadn't hurt anyone!"

"I know. Neither had Sirius. Snape hates Sirius and Lupin. He has since they were kids. He was so furious we'd even wonder if Sirius was innocent that I thought he was going to curse the three of us just for trying to make him listen. That's when I finally stopped trusting the greasy bastard."

Ginny goggled at Harry. "You trusted Snape, Harry!? Are you mad?"

Harry grinned and quipped, "I don't think so, but if I were, would I know?" Ginny laughed and he continued, "Yes, I trusted Snape. Or at least I believed the people who said he was on our side. In my first year, Quirrell told me that Snape saved my life in my first Quidditch match when Voldemort tried to kill me. After that, I had to trust the git at least a little. I never liked him, mind, but there you have it."

Ginny appeared thoughtful for a moment, and asked tentatively, "Why are we here, Harry? I mean, it's been interesting and everything, but it's not much as far as dates go, and this _is_ Valentine's Day."

Harry's face fell. He'd hoped Ginny would realize the significance when he explained about sharing his history. "Oh. Sorry, Gin. I just thought...well...you know that Sirius was really important to me, and you already know how he died, so I thought you might like to see where I met him. You know, like taking you to see the house where I grew up, or something." When Ginny said nothing, Harry started to worry that he'd bungled the whole thing. "But don't worry! We'll have a proper date tomorrow."

Ginny looked away, and Harry's heart dropped into his stomach. "Um, Harry, about that..."

"What," he croaked.

"I sort of promised Colin I'd help him pick out a used broom from Dervish & Banges on the Hogsmeade trip." Harry was too gobsmacked to respond immediately, and Ginny started talking again before he could interrupt her. "I'm really sorry, Harry. He asked me ages ago, and I just said 'sure' without even thinking about it. I totally forgot it was going to be Valentine's Day, I swear. I bet you had really great plans and everything, and I've gone and ruined them, and I'm really, really sorry."

Harry's stomach unclenched and he felt giddy with relief, which was rather unfortunate, as it caused him to begin laughing hysterically. Ginny looked at him crossly. She had no idea what could possibly be so funny. By the time Harry got himself under control, he was faced with an extremely irate girlfriend. "Sorry, Gin. I just...I was in such a panic that I'd forgotten about Valentine's Day, and it turns out I wasn't the only one." He paused for a moment, genuinely confused, before adding, "I'm not sure why that seemed so funny, but it did."

Ginny uncrossed her arms, still clearly unhappy. "Fine," she huffed, "I'm glad you're not angry with me, but what are we going to do about tomorrow?"

Harry gave her his trademark, wry smile. "You don't suppose Mr. Creevey would like to have the input of two Quidditch experts on his broomstick selection instead of just one, do you?"

Ginny relaxed somewhat, but she didn't seem convinced. "I'm sure Colin wouldn't object to the Boy-Who-Lived helping him pick out a broom, but do you really think that's a good idea?"

Harry grimaced. He hadn't thought of it in those terms, but he was damned if he was going to let Colin Creevey ruin Valentine's Day with his girlfriend. "I didn't think of that, but I bet if we can get him to pick out a broom quickly we can be shot of him. Besides, Dervish & Banges is bound to have some interesting little trinkets we could pick up for each other." Harry blushed slightly, but continued despite his discomfort, "I'm afraid I forgot to buy you anything last time I was in Hogsmeade. Sorry about that."

"I suppose that'd be alright. Maybe afterwards we could wander around the village for a bit. I've got plans for you, Mr. Potter." She leaned forward and whispered something in Harry's ear that caused him to blush furiously. She grinned at him briefly, but otherwise ignored his embarrassment. "But as for presents, I'm afraid I've already got yours." She grinned and produced a small gift, carefully wrapped in shiny, red paper, from her robes. "So you'd better come up with something good, or I'll be very disappointed that you've made me wait."

Harry reached for the gift, but Ginny quickly pulled it out of reach with a glint of mischief in her eye. "Ah, ah, Harry. Not yet. You don't get your present until you have one for me, too."

Harry pouted for a moment before pulling Ginny into a gentle kiss, which she soon deepened. He considered trying to swipe his present while his girlfriend was distracted, but quickly decided it wasn't worth the trouble he'd be in if he succeeded. He let his hands wander a bit instead, finally settling on the swell of her hips.

When Ginny finally broke the kiss several minutes later, they were both flushed and breathing heavily. Ginny smiled up at Harry before snuggling into his embrace and saying, "Thanks, Harry. That was a lovely present. I could almost feel how much you care for me in that kiss."

Harry chuckled softly, and Ginny tightened her embrace. "It's nice to be appreciated, Gin, but I think I'll still find something more substantial." He paused a moment for effect before adding in a husky voice, "I really want to find out what's in that box."

Ginny giggled and tucked the box in question back into the mysterious hiding place in her robes. "Not until tomorrow, you bad boy."

Harry grinned playfully and asked, "A bad boy, am I? And what have I done to earn this title?" They laughed and chased one another around the shack for quite some time. One of them would periodically catch the other and tackle him or her, setting both of them tumbling about on the ground, wrestling playfully, until someone got up and ran off, starting the cycle over again. Eventually they both became tired of their game and lay on the floor, holding hands and enjoying one another's company.

Ginny was the first to break the comfortable silence, gazing fondly at her boyfriend and speaking softly, "Thank you for tonight, Harry. It was the most fun I've had in a long time, and I'm so glad it was with you."

Harry turned to face her and reached out with the hand not holding Ginny's. He caressed her lightly-freckled cheek and echoed his previous words, "Anything for you, Gin."

Ginny's gaze changed subtly, and she studied him intently for a moment, trying to look into his soul. "You said that before, Harry. What does it mean, exactly?"

Harry took a deep breath. He'd wanted to say this for quite a while, but he wasn't sure how it would be received. "I love you, Ginevra." She gasped, but he didn't let it dissuade him from saying what he had to say. "I know we haven't had the chance to spend much time together before this year, but I want that to change. I want to share the important parts of my life with you, and I hope you'll do the same. That's what tonight was about," he finished softly, and was gratified to see Ginny's eyes shining.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she whispered. She couldn't seem to find anything else to say, and she didn't need to. Harry understood.

Neither was sure how long they lay there on the dusty floor of a ramshackle house, lost in one another's eyes, but eventually Harry looked at his watch and realized they had already missed curfew by a fair margin. "We'd better go, Gin."

She nodded, and they made their way carefully back to Hogwarts' grounds. They snuck into the castle using a secret passage that led from the Quidditch pitch to just outside the library. It was one of the passages that Fred and George had warned him against, as Filch already knew about it, so they had to be extremely careful. Harry was grateful that he'd remembered to bring the Marauder's Map. He nearly smacked himself when he realized he'd neglected to bring the invisibility cloak as well, but there was nothing to be done about it.

They made it back to Gryffindor common room without being caught, though they had a close call emerging from the passage and had to Confund Mrs. Norris before she could alert Filch. That led to a minor delay as they fought their laughter at seeing the much-detested feline colliding with doorframes in an attempt to locate her master. The common room was deserted by the time they returned, and they lingered in front of the dying fire, holding hands and glorying in one another's company, until Harry was overcome by a jaw-cracking yawn. He smiled sheepishly and said, "I reckon I'd better get to bed. See you in the morning, gorgeous."

Ginny smiled back at him and reached up to give him a chaste kiss and whisper, "Good night, Harry."

Harry enjoyed watching her walk up the stairs before sighing and heading to bed. He was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow, and he dreamed wonderful dreams full of flowing red hair.

* * *

Harry woke the next morning feeling extremely chipper, though it took him a moment to recall exactly why. He smiled when he remembered the look of love in Ginny's eyes the previous evening, but his smile diminished slightly when he realized that she'd never said whether she loved him back. He shook his head in annoyance with himself. He didn't doubt that Ginny cared for him, and he had no problem waiting until she was ready to say so.

He pulled on his standard jeans and t-shirt before realizing that he should probably dress at least a little bit nicely for Ginny. It was Valentine's Day, after all. He thought for a moment and decided to wear his newest Weasley jumper over his t-shirt. It was a much deeper green that Mrs. Weasley usually used, and Ginny seemed especially fond of it. He often wondered if she had perhaps had a hand in its creation. He bounded down the stairs, eager to start the day, despite the fact that he would be saddled with Colin Creevey for the first part of it, and found Ginny already waiting in the common room.

"Morning, handsome," she purred.

Harry was pleased when she ran her hands appreciatively over his jumper. He enjoyed the contact for a moment before answering, "Morning yourself." He tucked a strand of stay hair behind her ear and asked, "Shall we go down to breakfast?"

Ginny sighed theatrically. "Boys! Always thinking with your stomachs."

Harry grinned, unabashed. "I was too nervous about last night to eat much," he answered honestly. Then he smirked and added, "And I seem to recall you having quite a healthy appetite yourself, Miss Quidditch-Goddess-Weasley."

Ginny blushed prettily, but did not deny his observation. She took his proffered arm, and they made their way down to breakfast in companionable silence. Once they reached the Great Hall, Harry and Ginny chose adjacent seats at the nearly-empty Gryffindor table. They grinned at one another when they realized how eager they had both been to begin the day; almost everyone in the castle was still in bed. They were therefore quite surprised when Colin arrived only a few minutes later and took the open seat on Ginny's left. They were even more surprised by the venomous look he shot at Harry before sitting down. They shared a concerned glance, unsure what to make of Colin's frosty attitude toward his former idol, but they said nothing.

The carefree atmosphere of a few minutes earlier evaporated immediately, and the three ate in tense silence. Neither Harry nor Ginny felt comfortable talking in front of Colin after the intimacy of their conversation the previous evening, and Colin seemed to be quite put out by something. Surprisingly, it was Colin who stood first. "Ready to go, Ginny?"

Ginny and Harry shared another confused look, but she answered pleasantly, "Sure, Colin. I asked Harry to come, too. We figured we'd be able to find you a broom faster if we both help." Colin shot Harry an irate look, but he said nothing.

The unusual trio was the first group of students past Filch's checkpoint that morning, and the awkward silence surrounding them was even more pronounced in the hushed silence of the early morning. Harry noted that the clouds overhead were pregnant with snow, and whole world seemed to be holding its breath. It would have been beautiful if the situation weren't so tense. He tried to make small talk about the weather and what they would do if it began snowing in earnest, but his attempt at conversation fell flat.

Ginny tried talking about Gryffindor's Quidditch prospects, mentioning how lucky they were that Katie had allowed them to skip their usual Saturday practice to allow them to visit Hogsmeade. Harry joked that it was probably because Katie herself was planning a secret, Valentine's Day tryst, eliciting giggles from Ginny. Colin sent him a glare, and they lapsed once again into awkward silence.

Finally, Ginny grew frustrated as they were approaching the borders of the village and tried to draw Colin into a conversation about the sort of things he wanted to do with his new broom, which he joined with unexpected reluctance. By the time they reached Dervish & Banges, Harry and Ginny were locked in a highly technical conversation about the relative balance of speed, maneuverability and stability that made the best Beater's broom. Colin was again glaring at Harry while the conversation flew completely over his head.

As soon as he reached the store, he huffed and grabbed Ginny's arm to drag her off to the used brooms. She shot Harry an apologetic look over her shoulder. Harry was certain that Ginny could take care of herself in the relatively innocuous company of Colin Creevey, and he decided that this would make an excellent opportunity to search for a gift. He wandered over to a display of odd knickknacks of the sort he had seen scattered throughout The Burrow, but nothing caught his eye. As he browsed somewhat aimlessly, he felt drawn to a delicate silver necklace with a charm shaped like a Phoenix in profile. It had a small ruby chip for its eye and gold filigree inlaid in the tail, but what really held his attention was the magic he felt emanating from the necklace. He reached out and gingerly plucked the necklace from its shelf, half expecting it to prevent him from touching it.

It did not resist him, however. In fact, it seemed to welcome him, and when he first touched the chain, he felt a sudden flare of magic that settled down an instant later. He took it to the counter, and was quite surprised when the clerk goggled at his intended purchase. "I'm impressed, Mr. Potter! That pendant has been sitting on my shelves for nearly fifteen years, and no one has ever been able to so much as touch it. Most remarkable," he muttered the last part, but Harry caught it anyway.

An instant later, the clerk was all business. "The charm on that necklace contains a single Phoenix tear, and it is extraordinarily powerful. No one is entirely sure about its properties, but it is completely unique. That will be fifty Galleons."

Harry's head reeled. He'd never be able to convince Ginny to accept such an expensive gift, and he was preparing to tell the clerk to forget about it, when he had an idea. "I don't know about that, Mr. Dervish. You said that no one's even been able to touch it before. How do you know that anyone else will ever be able to? I'll give you ten Galleons." Harry suspected that the necklace had already bonded with him somehow, and he could probably walk out of the shop with it and no one would be able to stop him--magic was often funny that way--but he couldn't cheat the honest proprietor.

The owner, ignorant of Harry's internal monologue, looked at him aghast. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but I couldn't possibly let it go for less than forty Galleons."

Harry fixed a penetrating stare on the shopkeeper. It wasn't even remotely magical, but Harry knew from experience that it could be quite disconcerting, and clearly Mr. Dervish was willing to bargain. "Twenty."

"Thirty."

"Twenty-five."

The shop keeper looked terribly pained, but he agreed after a moment's hesitation. He shared Harry's suspicion that the necklace had already bonded to the remarkable young man, and was unwilling to risk not being paid at all.

Harry asked the man to wrap up his purchase, for which he paid an additional Sickle, and wandered back to Ginny and Colin. He was surprised to find them arguing. It sounded like Ginny was trying to convince Colin to buy the older Cleansweep Five, while Colin was pushing for the Six.

"Actually, Colin, Ginny's right. The stability charms on the older model are stronger and more reliable. It's exactly the sort of broom you want if you're serious about trying out for one of the Beater spots next year."

Colin flushed, embarrassed at being told he was wrong. "But the Cleansweep Six is faster, and it's in better condition! Why would I want a beat-up old broom when a newer one's available?"

Harry sighed. Colin might be a whiz behind a camera, but his appreciation of the finer points of broom manufacture was sorely lacking. He looked at Ginny, who seemed equally exasperated, and rolled his eyes. "Colin," he began patiently, "Cleansweep changed the emphasis of their design after the Five came out. They switched to faster brooms with better cornering to attract younger buyers. The Five is seen as a bit of a 'Quidditch-mum' sort of broom, but it's sturdy and stable, and it's fast enough to serve you well on the pitch. It's perfect for a Beater.

"And as for the condition, you can pick up a servicing kit in Diagon Alley for a lot less than the twenty Galleon difference between the prices."

Colin still looked unsure, despite hearing essentially the same argument from two different people, and Ginny finally snapped at him. "Colin, if you're going to bring a couple of Quidditch nuts broom shopping with you, then you should bloody-well listen to what we have to say."

Colin flushed and glared at Ginny for a moment before dropping his gaze. He muttered something that sounded like, "Only wanted one Quidditch nut to begin with." Then, instead of heading to the front of the store to pay for his new broom, he surprised both of his companions by grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him to an out-of-the-way corner of the shop.

Harry was flabbergasted when Colin hissed at him in a harsh whisper, "I know you've been after Ginny for a while now, but it's Valentine's Day, and she's agreed to come to Hogsmeade with me! Bugger off!"

Harry stared at Colin, gobsmacked. He had no idea how to even begin addressing this. How had hero-worshipping Colin Creevey managed to avoid hearing that Harry and Ginny had been together since the Christmas holidays? Colin took Harry's silence for acquiescence, and he started to walk off. Harry only just managed to seize the smaller boy by the elbow before he disappeared around a corner.

Harry still had no idea what to say, but he finally just started talking. "Are you mad, Colin? Are you really the only person in the castle who doesn't know that Ginny and I are dating?"

Colin flushed with anger and answered in a furious whisper, "Don't be daft, Potter! I know you've been spending a little time together, but I see her everyday in class. We talk. We hang out. We've been best friends since first year, for Merlin's sake! Don't you think she'd have said something if you two had started going out?"

Harry had to work very, very hard not to burst out laughing. Colin's capacity for self-delusion was nearly miraculous. He apparently didn't manage to keep his features completely neutral, because Colin's scowl deepened before he wrenched his arm from Harry's grasp and stormed off to find Ginny. "Well that went well," Harry grumbled to no one.

He was just starting to follow Colin to the front of the store when he heard Ginny's indignant shout, "You did what!? Colin, what on Earth were you thinking?"

Ginny apparently had enough patience left that she let Colin answer, because Harry heard a pause before she started shouting again. "Enough, Colin! You take your hands off me this instant!"

At that, Harry broke into a run, dodging displays of magical instruments at a dangerous velocity. When he arrived in the open area at the front of the store, he skidded to a halt and took in the scene before him. It would have been comical if the situation weren't so serious. Colin had Ginny by the arm and was trying rather firmly to coax her out of the store. The man who sold Harry the necklace earlier had seized Colin's new broom with both hands, apparently trying to prevent Colin from leaving. Harry could only surmise that Colin had neglected to pay for his broom in his haste to leave the shop.

It took him only a moment to conclude that things would deteriorate rapidly if something wasn't done to defuse the situation. Harry pulled his wand and reluctantly Stunned Colin. He felt slightly bad about it, as Colin was really an alright bloke aside from his capacity for self-delusion, and something told him that Stunning a prefect in the back would not go over particularly well with Professor McGonagall. He felt even guiltier a moment later when both Ginny and the shop's proprietor tumbled abruptly to the floor.

Harry hurried over to the two prone figures and offered Ginny a hand up. "Er, sorry about that, Gin. Sorry Mr. Dervish. I guess I didn't really think about what would happen when Colin suddenly stopped pulling."

"Quite alright, Mr. Potter," the shop keeper answered as Harry pulled him to his feet in turn. "I suspect you've done me a bit of a service. I doubt young Mr. Creevey would have remembered to pay for his broom if you hadn't stepped in."

He looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny for a moment before addressing Ginny, "May I assume that you are unhurt, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm fine, thank you."

Mr. Dervish smiled politely at her. "Very well, then. I suggest that you two make yourselves scarce before I revive Mr. Creevey. I would really rather avoid another incident." The couple thanked the kindly proprietor and made a hasty exit.

The first few flakes of snow began to fall just as they were leaving the shop. The foot traffic had swelled considerably since their arrival, promising a slushy mess in the streets by day's end. Harry turned to look at Ginny as they strolled along the cobblestone street, and she favored him with an exasperated smile. "Looks like trouble follows you wherever you go, Harry. Maybe I should've stayed in bed this morning."

Harry laughed. "What, and miss my charming company? Besides," he grinned, "how do you know it isn't _you_ trouble's been following around?"

She snorted in a rather un-ladylike manner. "You just keep telling yourself that, Potter."

They continued down the street until they reached Honeydukes, and Harry slowed their pace. "What do you say we pop in here for a bit, grab a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks and head back to the castle? I've had more than enough excitement for today, and I don't fancy getting caught down here if the snow gets any worse."

Ginny smiled fetchingly and teased, "Just as long as I get my Valentine's present somewhere in there, that's fine with me." Her eyes widened almost as soon as she finished speaking, and she gasped, "Oh, no! You didn't have a chance to look around the shop before we left, did you? I'm sorry, Harry. I really don't need anything. That wonderful poem you wrote me and the time we spent together last night was more than enough. Please don't worry about--"

Harry silenced Ginny in the most expedient manner he knew. He kissed her. It was a gentle, languid kiss, full of affection and promise, and completely unlike their passionate snogging in the Shack the previous evening. He placed a finger on her lips when he broke the kiss, and her eyes opened slowly. "It's okay, Gin. I found something while you were arguing with Colin. Didn't you notice that I went missing for a while?"

Harry grinned at his girlfriend, who blushed prettily and stammered, "Well, of course I noticed, but, I mean, well Colin was being so infuriating I just--"

Harry laughed and kissed her again. "Let's just go in here," he said, gesturing at Honeydukes. "I could use some chocolate. How about you?"

Ginny grinned at him. "You certainly know how to bribe a girl out of a mood, don't you Harry?"

Harry smirked and gave Ginny another quick peck on the lips. "I most certainly do. Shall we, my lady?" He held out his arm in a chivalrous gesture, and Ginny hooked her arm through his before pulling him eagerly into the crowded shop.

* * *

By the time they returned to the castle, Ginny and Harry were slightly too late for lunch, so they decided to pop down to the kitchens to see if they could cajole the house-elves into feeding them. They enjoyed a light meal of Italian wedding soup, fresh bread and winter greens, occasionally making eyes over their food and tossing the occasional jibe across the table. All in all, it was quite a pleasant lunch, and the atmosphere was far nicer than they could have managed in the pub.

As they were sipping tea and enjoying the sluggish aftermath of a good meal, Harry reached into his cloak and passed the nicely-wrapped box across the table. "Happy Valentine's Day, Gin."

Ginny smiled and produced Harry's gift as well. Ginny opened her present first, and she was stunned. "Oh Harry, you shouldn't have. This must have cost a fortune." She traced the Phoenix with her index finger, and they were both shocked to hear an echo of Phoenix song burst from the charm. Ginny looked at Harry in awe. "Harry, what was that!?"

He smiled sheepishly. "It was Phoenix song, Gin. The proprietor told me the charm has a single Phoenix tear in it, and no one's really sure what it does. I reckon we should have Professor Dumbledore look at it before you put it on, just to be safe, but I really doubt that anything Dark could have a Phoenix tear in it."

Ginny's look of doubt relaxed by didn't fade completely. "Harry," she said tentatively, "this must have cost you an awful lot. I appreciate the thought, but I really can't accept it."

Harry shook his head. "Don't be silly, Ginny. I bought it because somehow it felt right, and it really wasn't too expensive. The shopkeeper mentioned that he'd had a lot of trouble selling it, so I managed to haggle him down quite a bit." Ginny still looked doubtful, and he added, "Look, if it means that much to you, I'll make sure to only get you something small at Christmas, but I'd really like it if you'd accept the necklace. Okay?" Ginny nodded silently, and Harry was convinced she realized how important this was to him.

He turned to his own box and realized with surprise that he could feel magic coming from his package as well. He looked at Ginny curiously, but she just smiled mysteriously and nodded at him. When he opened it, he found a small hemp wristband with a series of small, white stones encased in the knot work. He considered the magic he felt coming from the gift for a moment, and realized with a small shock that it felt decidedly familiar. He looked up at Ginny again and asked, hesitantly, "Ginny, did you make this?"

She nodded shyly, and Harry immediately realized why she hadn't wanted to accept the pendant. Hermione had been right; Ginny was worried that her own gift wouldn't measure up. He couldn't believe how wrong she was. "So what kind of enchantment did you put on it?"

Ginny looked perplexed. "What do you mean, Harry? I didn't put any charms on it."

Harry was stunned. To accidentally add the sort of magic he felt in the wristband would take incredibly powerful emotion. "Well it's there, and it's pretty strong. Actually, I'm amazed you couldn't feel it when you were carrying it around in your robes."

Ginny looked intently into Harry's eyes, surprise evident on her face. "I didn't know you could sense magic, Harry."

Harry waved his hand. "It's something Dumbledore's been teaching me. He seems to think it's important, but I wouldn't have to be very skilled to feel the magic coming off of this. It's bloody strong." He cocked his head in thought and added, "It feels really warm, too. It's kind of like the feeling I get when I'm holding you in my arms. It's brilliant, Ginny. Thank you." He reached across the small table and pulled Ginny into a fierce kiss.

Ginny quickly tired of leaning across the table to kiss her boyfriend, and she moved to perch in his lap, instead. They snogged with abandon for quite some time, but Ginny finally broke the kiss and snuggled her head against Harry's neck. "Happy Valentine's Day, Harry. I'm glad you like your present."

"Thanks, Ginny. It's been a great day."

"Really? Warts and all?"

Harry chuckled at her description, though he realized a moment later that it had been quite apt. "Yep. Warts and all."

* * *

A/N: This is my first attempt at fluff, and Valentine's Day seemed like the perfect occasion for my first time. I wasn't sure I could pull it off, but it seems to have come out alright. My beta-reader has been quite busy lately, and I didn't want to burden her with something as content-free as this. That's right; this story hasn't been beta-read. Any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone. I'll say right off that, in a bought of laziness quite reminiscent of J.K. Rowling, I haven't bothered to check which day of the week Valentine's Day actually fell in 1997. I'm not canon compliant either, since Valentine's Day was a Saturday in Harry's fifth year, so it should actually be a Monday during his sixth. (1996 was a leap year.) This is the sort of thing that sometimes annoys me when I'm reading fanfic, so I'll apologize to those of you who are in the same boat. My only excuse is that this is so fluffy I decided it didn't really matter.

I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I tried to get this out in time for Valentine's Day, but circumstances conspired against me. My apologies and a belated "Happy Valentine's Day" to one and all!


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